Boyd working hard for pro dream

After his UNC Pro Day workout last week, former Ashborok WR Jheranie Boyd is working hard to get a shot in the NFL.

Photo courtesy of Jeffery A. Camarati/UNC athletics

By Gabe Whisnant

Published: Monday, April 1, 2013 at 07:37 PM.

Most college football players don’t like to dwell on the “what if.”

As in, “what if” their success in the sport doesn’t lead them to a professional career.

Former Ashbrook standout and University of North Carolina senior Jheranie Boyd continues to maintain his dream of playing in the NFL. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound wide receiver has plenty of reason to be optimistic after he impressed scouts and draft-evaluators at UNC’s recent pro day this past week.

Boyd posted a 41.5-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot broad jump. Both of those numbers would have tied him for second-best among all receivers at the NFL combine.

As in, “what if” their success in the sport doesn’t lead them to a professional career.

Former Ashbrook standout and University of North Carolina senior Jheranie Boyd continues to maintain his dream of playing in the NFL. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound wide receiver has plenty of reason to be optimistic after he impressed scouts and draft-evaluators at UNC’s recent pro day this past week.

Boyd posted a 41.5-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot broad jump. Both of those numbers would have tied him for second-best among all receivers at the NFL combine.

“I was pleased with the workouts and everything,” Boyd said during a recent phone interview. “I was happy.”

As ready as he is for his shot with an NFL team, Boyd’s senior season offered him a wake-up call in the form of a high-ankle sprain. The injury sidelined him for eight weeks, putting a halt to what had been an otherwise productive career in Chapel Hill. Boyd started his final year on the Biletnikoff Award (given annually to the nation’s top WR) watch list, but finished with just four catches for 44 yards and one touchdown after posting 12 total touchdowns the three previous years.

“Moving laterally was hard. There were times when I felt like I was 100 percent, then I would go out and I couldn’t do anything,” he said. “It was a nagging injury. I’ve never really dealt with anything that actually kept me out of games.”

The injury was sustained during the second week of the season against Wake Forest, coincidentally, blocking downfield on a running play for another former Gaston County standout, North Gaston’s A.J. Blue.

“I was blocking for A.J. He cut across and came back to where I was, then a defensive lineman fell on my leg,” Boyd said.

The injury, the recovery and the down time helped Boyd put his college career in perspective. Instead of working out at a postseason/pre-draft training facility, he remained on campus. He is on course to graduate in May with a degree in communications with a concentration in performance studies.

“It (the injury) humbled me in a lot of ways. There were times when I was mad, depressed, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Boyd said. “But I toughened up. It pushed me. It was an adversity I had to go through.”

In February, Boyd put his course of study to use with a YouTube video titled, “Road to Glory.” The video shows Boyd working out in UNC’s weight rooms and football facilities while music and inspirational messages by Eric Thomas accompany his workouts. Thomas, known as the “Hip Hop Preacher,” states during the video, “You’re already in pain. You’re already hurt. Get a reward from it.”

“During my injury, I felt like giving up and I was depressed. I started listening to his (Thomas’) CD and applying those things to my life,” Boyd said. “I decided to do a workout video to his speech. I wanted to do something different and act it out.

“Hopefully people can get inspired by that.”

Recently, Boyd spoke to students at Grier Middle School, where he once attended, and Friendship Christian Church in downtown Gastonia. He said enjoys speaking to young people, especially about his trials over the past year.

“I hope to set something up at Ashbrook soon. I like talking to athletes and non-athletes,” Boyd said. “I went through some hard times, and I want people to know you can make something positive out of it.”

What’s next

Next up for Boyd will be the two-day Super Regional Combine in Dallas on Sunday. Despite his big efforts at his pro day, he is hoping to improve on his vertical with a 42-43-inch jump, while also speeding up his 4.4 in the 40-yard dash.

His ultimate goal is to be selected in the NFL draft (April 25-27), but there is also a chance he could be picked up by a team as a free agent after seven rounds of the draft.

After his pro day, NFLdraftscout.com’s Rob Rang stated: “Speaking of players with the raw athleticism to develop, wide receiver Jheranie Boyd only caught four passes for 44 yards and one score in 2012, but he may have earned himself a chance at making an NFL roster as an undrafted free agent with a dazzling workout.”

Boyd, who says his ankle feels “100-percent healthy,” is looking forward to conducting interviews with NFL scouts and decision-makers in Dallas.

“I want to let them know what happened this year as far as the injury and to see what type of guy I am,” he said. “I want to be on their team and help them out. I think I opened a lot of eyes (at pro day). Now I’ve got to show what I’ve got again. I’m happy, and it looks like my stock is going up.”